Settings
Random Round Print Round
1) Toss Up - Math - Short Answer

Find the cotangent and cosecant, respectively, of a 90° angle:

ANSWER: COTAN = 0; COSECANT = 1
1) Bonus - Math - Multiple Choice

Which of the following points is closest to the point (1, -2):
W) (3, -5)
X) (0, 3)
Y) (3, 0)
Z) (-5, -5)

ANSWER: Y) (3, 0)
2) Toss Up - General Science - Short Answer

Predicting data values on a graph that fall between two points is most typically referred to as:

ANSWER: INTERPOLATION
2) Bonus - General Science - Short Answer

The emerald is the green crystalline form of what common mineral?

ANSWER: BERYL (ACCEPT: BERYLLIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE)
3) Toss Up - Earth And Space - Multiple Choice

Which of the following processes leads directly to the formation of topsoil and subsoil in the A and B horizons?
W) Erosion and deposition
X) Erosion and leaching
Y) Weathering and leaching
Z) Weathering and deposition

ANSWER: Y) WEATHERING AND LEACHING
3) Bonus - Earth And Space - Short Answer

Taking the value of the Hubble constant to be 75 kilometers per second per megaparsec, if a galaxy is observed with a recessional velocity of 50 kilometers per second, what is its distance, in kiloparsecs, to two significant figures?

ANSWER: 670
4) Toss Up - Astronomy - Short Answer

The tilt of the Earth's axis leads to what effect on the Earth?

ANSWER: SEASONS (ALSO ACCEPT: PRECESSION)
4) Bonus - Astronomy - Short Answer

Which two planets have no natural satellites?

ANSWER: MERCURY AND VENUS
5) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

If a substance has specific heat c and molar mass M, its molar heat capacity is best given by
W) c / M
X) M / c
Y) c * M
Z) 1/ (c * M)

ANSWER: Y) c * M
5) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

This rule states that the heat capacity of an object depends primarily on how many atoms the object contains, and that two objects with the same number of atoms will have similar heat capacities?

ANSWER: RULE OF DULONG AND PETIT
6) Toss Up - Biology - Short Answer

The genioglossus, the hyoglossus, and the styloglossus are all muscles that control what body part?

ANSWER: THE TONGUE
6) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice

Land snails and slugs breathe by means of specially adapted
W) gills.
X) lungs.
Y) mantle cavities.
Z) hearts.

ANSWER: Y-- MANTLE CAVITIES
7) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

Goniochromism is more commonly referred to as?

ANSWER: IRIDESCENCE
7) Bonus - Physics - Multiple Choice

What is the name given to the phenomena of apparent hue shift when white light is added to a monochromatic light source?
W) Abney effect
X) Helmholtz-Kohlrausch effect
Y) QMR effect
Z) Goos-Hänchen effect

ANSWER: W) ABNEY EFFEC
8) Toss Up - Biology - Short Answer

The sinoatrial (read as: sine-oh-AYE-tree-al) node is located in what human organ?

ANSWER: HEART
8) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer

In what chamber of the human heart is the sinoatrial (read as: sine-oh-AYE-tree-al) node located?

ANSWER: RIGHT ATRIUM
9) Toss Up - Chemistry - Short Answer

How many modes of vibration would a non-linear molecule with 9 atoms exhibit?

ANSWER: 21
9) Bonus - Chemistry - Short Answer

When an acid is added to any metal carbonate, such as barium carbonate, what gas is always formed?

ANSWER: CARBON DIOXIDE (ACCEPT: CO2)
10) Toss Up - Astronomy - Multiple Choice

A nearby spiral galaxy that contains a very energetic, bright central nucleus is known as a:
W) Seyfert Galaxy
X) Shapley Galaxy
Y) quasar
Z) pulsar

ANSWER: W) SEYFERT GALAXY
10) Bonus - Astronomy - Short Answer

At various distances from the Sun, the areas where very few asteroids orbit are called:

ANSWER: KIRKWOOD GAPS
11) Toss Up - Earth Science - Multiple Choice

Groundwater flows according to what law that, in its simplest form, is given by the equation Q = kIA:
W) Darcy’s Law
X) Law of Superposition
Y) Law of Original Horizontality
Z) Ekman’s Law

ANSWER: W) DARCY’S LAW
11) Bonus - Earth Science - Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a type of inland fog that occurs more often in spring when warm, moist air is cooled below its dew point as it moves over a cooler surface:
W) advection fog
X) radiation fog
Y) reflection fog
Z) steam fog

ANSWER: W) ADVECTION FOG
12) Toss Up - Biology - Multiple Choice

Which of the following plants are bryophytes?
W) Ferns
X) Conifers
Y) Algae
Z) Liverworts

ANSWER: Z) Liverworts
12) Bonus - Biology - Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a difference between between bryophytes and algae?
W) Vascular tissue is present in bryophytes but absent in algae
X) Bryophytes are mostly terrestrial while algae are mostly aquatic
Y) Algae can reproduce asexually while bryophytes cannot
Z) The plant body of algae can be unicellular while the plant body of bryophytes is always multicellular

ANSWER: W) Vascular tissue is present in bryophytes but absent in algae
13) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

How can 2 batteries and three capacitors be arranged to store the maximum amount of energy?
W) Connect the capacitors in parallel and the batteries in series
X) Connect the capacitors in series and the batteries in parallel
Y) Connect the capacitors and batteries in parallel
Z) Connect the capacitors and batteries in series

ANSWER: W) CONNECT THE CAPACITORS IN PARALLEL AND THE BATTERIES IN SERIES
13) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

What would be the total capacitance in microfarads and total voltage of 3 four-microfarad capacitors in parallel and two 1.5 volt batteries in series in a circuit?

ANSWER: 12 MICROFARADS AND 3 VOLTS
14) Toss Up - Biology - Short Answer

What is the process by which bacterial genes can be transferred from one bacterium to another via bacteriophages [bak-TEER-ee-uh-FAY-juhs]?

ANSWER: TRANSDUCTION
14) Bonus - Biology - Short Answer

In Labrador retrievers, coat color is determined by two sets of genes on different loci [LOH-sy]. At one locus, the upper case B allele [uh-LEEL] codes for black coat color, and the lower case b allele codes for brown coat pigment. At the second locus, the upper case E allele codes for the presence of a transporter to carry pigment to the hair shaft and the lower case e allele codes for the absence of the transporter. In the presence of transporter, the dog is black or brown; in the absence of transporter, the dog is yellow. What is the genotype of a yellow dog that is heterozygous for the brown allele?

ANSWER: Bbee (ACCEPT: bBee)
15) Toss Up - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

For a series of chemical reactions, Hess's law provides a method for the summation of which property?
W) Heat of formation
X) Entropy
Y) Equilibrium constant
Z) Reaction rate

ANSWER: W) HEAT OF FORMATION
15) Bonus - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

What is the difference between heat and temperature?
W) Temperature is a form of heat, while heat is a measurement
X) Temperature is a measurement of molecular kinetic energy, while heat is a form of energy
Y) Heat and temperature have different wavelengths
Z) Heat and temperature have similar wavelengths but different amplitudes

ANSWER: X) TEMPERATURE IS A MEASUREMENT OF MOLECULAR KINETIC ENERGY, WHILE HEAT IS A FORM OF ENERGY
16) Toss Up - Astronomy - Short Answer

The precise measurements of Wilson and Penzias of cosmic background radiation was in what region of the electromagnetic spectrum?

ANSWER: Microwave (Accept: 7.35 Cm)
16) Bonus - Astronomy - Short Answer

What basic force is responsible for forming the liquid-metallic hydrogen layer on the planet Jupiter?

ANSWER: Gravity
17) Toss Up - Earth And Space - Short Answer

What is the youngest volcano in the Hawaiian chain?

ANSWER: LOIHI
17) Bonus - Earth And Space - Short Answer

By name or number, identify all of the following five elements which destroy ozone: 1) hydrogen, 2) nitrogen, 3) chlorine, 4) bromine, 5) argon.

ANSWER: CHLORINE AND BROMINE (ACCEPT: 3 AND 4)
18) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

For two objects separated by a distance d, if the mass of one of the objects increases by two times, by what factor will the gravitational attraction between them increase?

ANSWER: TWO (ACCEPT: 2 TIMES)
18) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

Assuming air resistance is negligible and the gravitational acceleration is 10 meters per second squared, what is the distance traveled, in meters, by a body in free fall after 4 seconds if it started from rest?

ANSWER: 80 METERS
19) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

Which fundamental force is currently excluded from the Standard Model? W) Electromagnetism X) Weak Nuclear Y) Strong Nuclear Z) Gravity

ANSWER: Z) GRAVITY
19) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

Which of the following gauge bosons interacts with any of the other following gauge bosons? I) Photon, II) Gluon, III) Z boson, IV) W- boson

ANSWER: IV ONLY (W AND Z )
20) Toss Up - Astronomy - Short Answer

Name all of the following instruments that have been used to help understand the critical density of our universe: COBE; WMAP; BOOMERANG

ANSWER: Cobe; wmap; boomerang (accept: all)
20) Bonus - Astronomy - Short Answer

What is the standard distance a star would need to be placed for it to appear as bright as its absolute magnitude?

ANSWER: 10 Parsecs (Accept: 26 Light Years)
21) Toss Up - Earth And Space - Multiple Choice

The Haber-Bosch process revolutionized agriculture by providing a cheap, easy method to make fertilizers of an element essential for plant growth. Which of the following is this essential element?
W) Iron
X) Potassium
Y) Phosphorus
Z) Nitrogen

ANSWER: Z) NITROGEN
21) Bonus - Earth And Space - Short Answer

What is the term that describes the increase in primary production of an aquatic ecosystem following enrichment with chemical nutrients?

ANSWER: EUTROPHICATION (read as: yuh-troe-fi-KAY-shohn)
22) Toss Up - Physics - Short Answer

What is the underwater pressure in atmospheres in a fresh water lake at a depth of 20 meters?

ANSWER: 3
22) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

What is the resonant frequency, in hertz to the nearest whole number, of a three-component series circuit that has a 2 henry inductor, a 2 microfarad capacitor, and a 2 ohm resister?

ANSWER: 80
23) Toss Up - Math - Multiple Choice

Which of the following is TRUE about any two successive terms in the Fibonacci sequence:
W) their product is a Fibonacci number
X) they are either both odd or both even
Y) they are relatively prime
Z) their quotient is the golden ratio

ANSWER: Y) THEY ARE RELATIVELY PRIME
23) Bonus - Math - Short Answer

Find the inverse of the 2-by-2 matrix whose rows are 3, 5 and 7, -2. Give your answer in rows.

ANSWER: `2/41, 5/41, 7/41, -3/41`
24) Toss Up - Physics - Multiple Choice

What term is most often used to describe the bending of light around a corner or the spreading out of light as it passes through narrow slits?
W) refraction
X) reflection
Y) diffraction
Z) polarization

ANSWER: Y) DIFFRACTION
24) Bonus - Physics - Short Answer

According to this theory, the laws of physics have the same form in all inertial reference frames and light propagates through empty space with a definite speed independent of the speed of the source or observer.

ANSWER: EINSTEIN'S SPECIAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY
25) Toss Up - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

Members of which of the following classes of compounds generally produce acidic solutions when dissolved in water?
W) metal oxides
X) nonmetal oxides
Y) alcohols
Z) aldehydes

ANSWER: X) nonmetal oxides
25) Bonus - Chemistry - Multiple Choice

Which of the following choices are considered to be polymers of amino acids? Are they:
W) nucleotides
X) carbohydrates
Y) lipids
Z) proteins

ANSWER: Z) proteins